Little Miss Matchmaker
by bittersweetblonde
Summary: Peyton has always loved Lucas and he's always loved her, but neither are aware of that fact until an unlikely person intervenes and sets them up, but the night doesn't run totally smoothly. Oneshot.


**Hi everyone, yes it's me again. Sorry you're probably getting sick of me, but I can't seem to stop writing lately, especially when I'm bored and this afternoon I was so this is the end result. Hope you all like! :)**

* * *

**Little Miss Matchmaker**

Peyton Sawyer had never had the best luck in love. She'd had two boyfriends in the past, one who was a jerk and one who had broken her heart. The jerk had been Nathan Scott and he was her first proper boyfriend. He was the High School jock, the captain of the basketball team and the guy that every girl wanted. Him and Peyton never had the best relationship though, they were the total opposite of each other and always arguing. It wasn't love between them, just sex and once Peyton realised it, she dumped him.

* * *

She then found love with Jake Jagielski and this time it was everything she wanted. He wasn't like Nathan, he was kind, caring, sweet and had stuff in common with her, but he did have a child and even though Peyton had no issue about it, it was what had caused them to break up and ultimately break Peyton's heart. Jake's ex and the mother of his child had turned up in town and they had to get away, they had to run and as much as Peyton wanted to, she couldn't go with them. She had too much to stay for and a life on the run was something Jake himself didn't want for Peyton.

* * *

So she'd stayed in Tree Hill and had remained there since, but some things were different. Nathan was no longer a jerk and had changed his ways shortly after Peyton had dumped him and it was all thanks to Haley James. She'd originally offered to tutor him to get him off her best friend and his half brother Lucas' back, but oddly she'd developed feelings for him and he had for her. Haley had seen a different side to him, a side that Nathan was sure she'd brought out in him and the pair were married now with a baby on the way! Peyton had seen the difference in him herself, a side she'd always known was there, but never got to see and her and Nathan had become best friends and felt closer now than they ever did when they were together.

* * *

Peyton was harbouring a secret though, a secret that nobody knew and she'd been keeping it all to herself for the last few years. Even though there'd been Nathan and Jake in her past, there'd always been another boy in her heart, a boy she loved, a boy she was in love with, but she'd never been able to tell him or confess her feelings to him because he was somebody else's. He was her best friends boyfriend. Not only that, but he was Haley's best friend and he was Nathan's half brother. He was Lucas.

* * *

She'd started falling for him soon after she'd broken up with Nathan, but she'd set eyes on him before that, sadly she wasn't the only one though. Brooke had too and she'd snapped him up before Peyton had dumped his half brother, leaving Peyton nothing more than friends with Lucas. It wasn't the best situation for her to be in, but she learned to be ok with it. She had to be and Peyton wasn't the type of girl who'd steal another girls guy, especially her best friends. So she kept her feelings to herself and even tried to go out with other guys like Jake for instance and although she'd loved him at the time, her heart still belonged to someone else.

* * *

Unbeknown to Peyton, Brooke had picked up on her best friends feelings for Lucas and sadly for her, she'd picked up on Luke's too. She'd seen the way he looked at Peyton, she'd seen the way he seemed to understand her and the way he got her, which was something Brooke herself hadn't at times and she'd also seen how with just one look, he could see straight into her best friends soul. As much as she loved him, or thought she loved him, Brooke could see that it wasn't in the same league as Peyton's love for him or his love for her so she ended things with him. It pained her of course it did, but she couldn't stand in the way of something that she wanted herself; true love.

* * *

Brooke in time had managed to move on and was now with a guy called Chase, but Peyton and Lucas had remained friends and Brooke wasn't sure why? She was slightly angry at them for not getting together straight away, she'd sacrificed her own happiness for them after all, but then she figured Peyton was just wanting to be a good friend and not break the girl code rule, but it had been six months now and neither her or Lucas had made a move on each other.

* * *

"When are you going to get a boyfriend?" Brooke asked as she looked through Peyton's closet and Peyton just rolled her eyes from the bed.

"When are you going to quit asking me?" She replied and Brooke sighed and then looked around at her.

"I just want you to be happy P. Sawyer and I also want to go double dating." She told her, causing Peyton to laugh.

"Call Nathan and Haley then." She told her and Brooke rolled her eyes and came and sat down on Peyton's bed.

"Can I ask you something, but please don't take offence if I do?" She started and Peyton looked at the sudden serious face of her best friend and felt a little worried.

"What?" She asked.

"You've not gone lesbian have you?" She questioned. "Because if you have then that's ok and I'd be completely supportive of you." She added and Peyton just smiled and shook her head.

"As much as I'd love you having my back for that, I've not. Sorry Brooke." Peyton told her and Brooke looked confused.

"Then why are you single? Why has there been nobody since Jake? Why is someone as beautifully attractive as you not with someone?" Brooke asked.

"Because I don't need a boyfriend. I don't want a boyfriend and I'm content without a boyfriend." Peyton replied.

"I don't believe that for a second. How can nobody not want somebody? You got with Nathan and you got with Jake..."

"Yeah and look how they turned out." Peyton cut in.

"Ah, scorned by love, now we're getting down to why you want to be forever alone." Brooke said and Peyton just rolled her eyes. "You can't let past experiences put you off. So things didn't work out with guys in the past, things didn't work out with me and Lucas, but I didn't let that stop me from getting with Chase." She told her.

"You know you still never told me why you and Lucas ended, what happened there?" Peyton asked and Brooke just let out a shrug.

"It just didn't work out." She told her, still not letting her know the real reason. She wanted Peyton and Lucas to find each other themselves, but it seemed they were still going to need some pushing.

* * *

A few weeks had gone by since the girls had shared that chat and Brooke had put a plan into action, although it was a plan that she knew Peyton would end up killing her for. She'd decided to hold a speed dating night at Tric, she'd kept Peyton in the dark about it, knowing how her best friend would run a mile if she knew and she'd invited a load of single girls and single guys including Lucas to turn up and hopefully find love for themselves.

* * *

Lucas hadn't been keen on going when Brooke first handed him a flyer and he was a little annoyed that she had. He wouldn't have been single if she'd not ended things with him, but it was for the best really, he was just stuck in an annoying rut now and that's what he really blamed her for. He'd been a little relieved when she'd first told him their relationship wasn't working out, he'd seen how hard it was for her to say those words, but if she hadn't of, he'd have only been saying them himself a few months down the line. He liked Brooke, he did, but she wasn't Peyton and that was the annoying rut he was now stuck in. He had to love Peyton from afar and in secret. Of course he wanted to tell her how he felt, but there was a rule wasn't there. You don't go out with your ex's best friend. Peyton would never cross that line even if he did ask her out, her and Brooke were like sisters and girls have that whole girl code thing where you don't go out with your best friends ex. It was all so stupid, but it was something they all seemed to abide by...well everyone except for Nathan and Haley, but it was different for them.

* * *

Looking at the flyer that he'd pinned to the cork board in his room, he wondered if Peyton would be going to this speed dating night, her best friend had planned it after all and Peyton had been single since Jake had left, maybe this was Brooke's way of getting her a boyfriend? He knew what a matchmaker she could be and he'd heard from Peyton herself how Brooke had been driving her mad lately about getting a guy. Maybe this was his chance to finally be that guy? Screw the rules and screw girl code. He loved Peyton, had done for a long time and if she was going to this singles night then he didn't want her to land up with any other guy than himself. He'd already seen her with his half brother and with Jake, he didn't want to see her with anybody else!

* * *

"Brooke, I really don't feel like a night out tonight." Peyton said as Brooke picked out a hot outfit for her best friend. She'd gone round earlier telling Peyton that they needed a girly night out, but Peyton wasn't in the mood.

"You're not going to find any hot guys in this room of yours." Brooke replied, causing Peyton to get a little annoyed. When was her best friend going to stop all this boyfriend business?! "Well not unless you go out and bring them back here." Brooke added with a chuckle, but Peyton didn't find it funny.

"Seriously Brooke, I don't need a man ok. Please will you just stop all this. I know you're only trying to help, but I'm happy on my own." Peyton told her, but Brooke just shook her head having none of it and chucked the dress she'd been holding at her best friend.

"Here put this on and then I'll do your hair and make up. We're going out tonight whether you like it or not. I'm not going to let you become a cat lady." She added and Peyton just grumbled before going to change.

* * *

They arrived at Tric about half an hour later and Peyton noticed that the place looked a little different. It was a lot quieter for a start, there didn't seem to be a DJ, but there was soft love music playing instead and roses placed on the tables as well as paper and pencils?

"Brooke what's going on?" Peyton asked, but before she could answer, Chase came over to them with a banner.

"Does this look ok?" He asked, showing it to Brooke and as Peyton read it, everything suddenly clicked into place.

"Speed dating?! Brooke, I don't believe this! I thought you said this was going to be a girly night out?!" She shrieked and Brooke looked at her best friend.

"Well it is...in a way." She replied and then saw Peyton shake her head in dismay and then start to walk off heading for the door. "Look I knew if I told you from the off that you wouldn't want to come and..."

"I didn't want to come anyway!" Peyton shouted and then left, but as she walked down the stairwell, her curls flying in a thunderous rage mirroring her mood, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry." They said at the same time and it was only when Peyton looked into a pair of blue eyes that she realised who it was she'd bumped into.

"Luke? What are you doing here?" She asked and he scratched the back of his neck feeling a little bit embarrassed by what he was what about to say.

"I kind of got invited to this speed dating night." He answered and Peyton just laughed to herself.

"Roped into it you mean." She replied and Luke just chuckled.

"She do the same to you?" He asked and then pulled her closer to himself to let some people pass by and the pair of them suddenly felt how perfect this moment was. His arm around her waist, holding her close to him, them looking into each others eyes...but then Peyton came to her senses and moved away a little.

"Yeah, well fooled into it more like." She answered to his previous question. "I was about to go home actually." She admitted and Luke just nodded, he understood...just like he'd always understood her.

"Right, well I guess I can't let the matchmaker down. Wish me luck yeah." He said about walk into Tric and let her go home, but Peyton stopped him.

"No wait!" She said. "I can't let you go in there alone, if you're having to go through with this then I should too." Peyton told him, although the real reason was that she didn't want any other girl to end up with him.

* * *

The evening had been going well, there was a bigger turnout than Brooke had expected which made her smile, but seeing Peyton walk back into Tric with Lucas earlier had made her smile more.

The pair of them had spent five minutes with various different people, some were good, some were bad and some were damn right pervy.

"Look I know they're not very big, but my boobs are not my eyes, my eyes are up here." Peyton had told one ogling guy who'd been staring at her chest for the best part of their conversation.

"I bet you're hung like a stallion." One girl said to Lucas while licking her lips, causing him to almost choke on the drink he'd been sipping on.

After a few more, good, bad and slightly awkward conversations, Lucas and Peyton finally got their five minutes with each other and Brooke watched on excitedly from the bar.

"Ok where is Brooke getting these people from? I've had a guy staring at my boobs, one telling me how he'd like to get me into bed and one telling me what he'd do to me if he ever did...in graphic detail!" Peyton said as she sat down. "And Brooke wonders why I'm happy to be single." Peyton added with a chuckle causing Luke to laugh.

"Trust me the girls are as sex mad as the guys, I've had one betting on me being hung like a stallion, another telling me she wanted to lick chocolate sauce off my body and some crazy chick saying she wanted to drag me into the loos and have her wicked way with me!" He told Peyton, who in her own mind didn't think that last chick was as crazy as Luke made her sound!

"I think its fair to say Brooke hasn't found us love then." Peyton replied and Luke shrugged.

"I don't know. There's one girl I've had my eye on tonight." He said and Peyton felt her heart drop a little.

"Oh well that's good, I'm sure Brooke will be happy." She replied, not wanting to let her disappointment show, but then something hit her. "It's not Brooke herself is it?" She asked, suddenly realising that she was his last girlfriend and he hadn't had one since.

"No, it's not. I'm over her now...have been for a long time actually." He said and Peyton just nodded.

"So nobody's taken your fancy?" He asked, hoping she'd say no and he was pleased when she shook her head, but then also a little disappointed as it meant he'd not taken her fancy either. "What not even me?" He found himself asking, where had that bold and brave question come from?

"You don't count." She told him with a laugh, thinking he was just joking, but he was happy by that answer, she'd basically said he had!

After chatting a little bit more about anything other than what they were meant to, their five minutes soon came to an end and they went off to mingle with more strangers.

* * *

By the end of the night, Brooke had asked for everybody's scorecards and tallied them up while people got drinks, went to the loo or out for some fresh air.

Peyton had decided to do the latter herself and was stood at the bottom of the stairwell just thinking. Tonight hadn't been what she'd expected, infact it had been anything but! She'd enjoyed it though, well five minutes of it with a certain blue eyed boy at least. She'd actually wanted to tell him how she felt when they'd first sat down, she wanted to tell him about the secret love she'd held for him for all this time, but then he'd come out and said he'd had his eye on someone and she'd bottled it.

Hearing someone come down the stairs, she noticed it was one of the guys she'd spoken to earlier, but not one of the few nice ones, this was the one who'd been staring at her chest. He gave her a small smile as he got to the bottom of the stairwell and she gave one back before going to walk away, but he grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Don't go, stay." He said, but she took his hand from her arm and shook her head,

"It's cold out here, I'm going back in." She told him politely and then went to walk away again, not really wanting to be around him, but he grabbed her again, this time harder.

I'll keep you warm." He told her in a husky breath, one that stunk of alcohol.

"Get off me." She said, trying to force herself from his grip, but he only held on stronger. "I said get off me!" She shouted and without warning, she kneed him in the balls and made a run for it back up the stairs and into Tric.

* * *

Trying to compose herself and get herself together she headed for the bar and ordered a stiff drink.

"There you are, I was looking for you." She heard Luke say and as she turned to face him, he could see the sudden pale colour of her skin and the ragged breaths that were coming from her mouth. "Hey, are you ok?" He asked concerned and she just nodded.

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine." She lied and then looked towards the door, hoping the pervy weirdo wasn't about to come back in.

"No you're not. Look at me." Luke said and Peyton tore her eyes away from the door and then looked at him and plastered on a smile.

"Luke, I'm fine. Really." She told him and before he could question her on it, Brooke announced that she'd tallied up all the scores and had the results.

"Ok, we have quite a few matches tonight, infact there's about fifteen future couples in my hands right now!" Brooke excitedly announced and then went on to start revealing them.

As she was doing so, Lucas kept noticing how Peyton looked at the door every ten or twenty seconds and when he went to touch her to ask if she was ok, she jumped a mile!

"What's wrong?" He mouthed.

"Nothing." She mouthed back and then went back to looking at her best friend. Of all the couple's Brooke had read out so far, Luke's name hadn't been said which she was thankful for and neither had hers which she was equally as thankful for, she didn't want to go out with any of the people she'd had the misfortune of meeting or kneeing in the balls tonight!

"Our twelfth couple are Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer." Brooke then said and both of them looked at Brooke in shock and then at each other.

"You gave me the highest score?" Luke asked in confusion. She'd made it clear to him earlier that none of the guys in there had taken her fancy and that he himself didn't count!

"You gave me the highest score?" She replied in her own confusion. He'd told her he had his eye on somebody!

"Congratulations." Brooke then said with a huge smile on her face, causing them to look at her again and both of them noticed the little wink she gave. Had she known something that they'd both been oblivious too all this time? Each others feelings?

* * *

Once most people had gone home, the fifteen matched up couples all stayed on a bit longer, having drinks and getting to know each other better and also thanking Brooke for setting them up.

"So how long have you liked me for?" Lucas asked as him and Peyton sat at the bar.

"Honestly? Since I ended things with Nathan." She admitted and he just shook his head and laughed.

"I've liked you since I first towed your car back when you were with him." He replied and Peyton frowned.

"Well, why did you get with Brooke then?" She asked.

"Because you were with Nate." He said and he said it like it was the most obvious reason in the world and it really was, it was the same reason why she didn't get with him when he was with Brooke.

"Well why didn't you make a move when you and Brooke split up?" She asked.

"You had Jake and besides I was just following rules, you don't go with your ex's best friend." He explained.

"Yeah and I didn't make a move when you and Brooke broke up because of girl code." She said and the pair of them just laughed at how stupid they'd been.

"It seems the girl who should have cared about it really didn't care at all." Luke said as he looked over at Brooke and Peyton did the same and chuckled.

The girl herself came over a little while later and plonked herself down next to the broody blondes. "So have you confessed your love for each other yet?" She asked and Lucas looked at Peyton with a raised eyebrow.

"Well that soon shot up from liking me." He said.

"Right back at ya!" She replied and Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Oh my God, even when I get you together you still don't tell each other?!" She said and then looked at the pair of them. "Peyton, Lucas loves you, you want to know the real reason why I ended things with him? It was so you could be with him and you want to know why I did that, because I could see how much you loved him too and she does Luke." Brooke explained, turning to face her ex. "I'm sorry I never told you that when I ended things, but I'm telling you now. You two are perfect together, anyone can see that. So forget the whole rules and codes and just kiss already and be together before I have to smash your lips together myself!" She added and then walked off to give them some privacy to do it in, but she made sure to watch from a distance and then gave a happy cheer once they'd finally kissed and pulled away!

* * *

Leyton as Brooke had now named them decided to call it a night about half an hour later and Brooke decided to as well. Most of the couples had gone home or off somewhere else to continue their fun. Peyton had just nipped into the toilets, saying she'd lock the place up on the way out and Lucas and Brooke walked out and said they'd wait for her outside.

"I still can't believe you set us up like that." Luke said as they waited for Peyton and Brooke just laughed.

"I still can't believe you never told each other or saw how the other one felt." She replied.

Just then a man came up to them asking if the place was still open and if he could go in. "I've left my wallet inside." He said.

"Yeah, it's fine." Brooke said, not realising this was the same man that Peyton had encountered out here earlier.

Walking inside, he then headed towards the bar just as Peyton walked out of the toilets and she instantly froze. What was he doing here? All she wanted to do was run, if she was quick enough, he wouldn't see her, but she had the keys and she had to lock up. In the end she decided her safest option was to hide, but the sound of the toilet door closing had him turning around and her cover blown.

"Well look who it is." He said with a dirty smirk as he walked over to her. "Kung Foo Kandy." He muttered with an agitated expression.

"What are you doing in here?" Peyton asked firmly, masking all the fear she was feeling and the guy held his wallet up.

"I left this in here before you attacked me." He answered, staring viciously into her eyes, but she still held her own.

"Right, well you've got it now so you can leave." She told him, but he shook his head and laughed before placing his wallet in his pocket.

"I don't think so." He replied, walking closer to her. Peyton backed away, but stopped as her back met the wall. "Oh dear, it seems you're trapped." He said with a dirty chuckle, but Peyton pushed him away. What she hadn't expected was for him to grab her hands as she did so and he forced her back to the wall, pinning her wrists hard. "Bad move blondie, very bad move." He whispered through gritted teeth and Peyton just looked at him, she wanted to knee him where it hurt again, but right now she was too scared to.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, slight fear showing through her voice, letting her tough demeanour slip a little.

"I think it's obvious don't you?" He husked as he let go of one of her wrists and then moved his hand down to her chest, groping her left breast. "I had my eye on these from the get go." He added and Peyton didn't hesitate to slap his face hard with her free hand and then repeat her move from earlier and knee him in the balls before running outside.

* * *

"It was a really courageous and amazing thing you did breaking up with me you know." Lucas said to Brooke as they were still stood around outside chatting and waiting for Peyton. "You're one hell of a best friend to do that for her." He added and Brooke just shrugged with a smile.

"No she's not!" They then heard and turned to see Peyton running down the stairwell, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

"What? What are you talking about?" Brooke asked.

"Hey, you're pale again, are you ok?" Luke said, noticing the colour of her skin and the ragged breaths from her running, it was just like earlier.

"No I'm not!" She said. "That pervy weirdo who was eyeing up my chest earlier? Well he's just copped himself a feel!" Peyton explained. "He had hold of my arm out here earlier too and he wouldn't let me go. I've had to kick him in the balls twice tonight!" She added and suddenly Lucas looked angry and he realised the guy him and Brooke had let go in to the club for his wallet was the pervy guy Peyton had told him about and he was obviously still in there!

"What?!" Brooke asked in shock, not knowing any of this information.

"That fucking bastard! Did he hurt you?" Luke asked and Peyton shook her head and sighed.

"No, I didn't give him the chance to." She said, referring back to how she'd told him and Brooke about kneeing him where it hurt.

"Well you won't be the only one doing that." Luke said and before Peyton could stop him, he took off up the stairs to give the guy some blows himself!

"Peyton I'm..." Brooke started, but her best friend stopped her.

"Don't ok, just don't! This is what you get when you try and set me up with someone! I didn't even want a boyfriend in the first place, I kept telling you Brooke, but you wouldn't listen!" Peyton angrily said. She wasn't meaning to take this out on her best friend, but she was annoyed.

"I just wanted you and Luke to get together." Brooke sighed.

"Well you could have just told us how the other felt and told us how you wouldn't mind if we did. It would have been a lot better." Peyton ranted.

"I'm sorry. If I'd have known all this was going to happen..." Brooke said and then Peyton heard her voice break and she looked to see tears falling down her best friends face and she felt guilty.

"No Brooke I'm sorry. Please don't cry. You are a hell of a best friend and I didn't mean to blame this on you. You weren't to know this was going to happen." Peyton told her before giving her a hug.

"I should have checked these people out though. Oh my God what if I've paired people off with pervs like that guy?" Brooke then thought out loud and pulled away from Peyton with a look of serious worry on her face.

"You haven't ok. That guy was one in a few and people like him wouldn't have been given a good score." She told her and Brooke nodded knowing she was right.

At that moment Lucas came down the stairs and chucked the pervy guy down the last few, causing him to land in a heap on the floor. "Don't ever show your face around here again or even think about let alone touch my girlfriend. If you do you'll be getting more than a few punches and kicking's ok." He warned and the guy got himself up off the floor and just stumbled back to whatever hole he came out of.

Brooke then took the keys out of Peyton's shaky hands and locked Tric up herself.

"Are you ok?" Lucas then asked, wrapping his arms around Peyton who just smiled at him. "What?" He asked in confusion when she didn't say anything.

"It sounded pretty good, you calling me your girlfriend just then." She told him and he smiled back.

"Well thanks to Brooke, it's what you are to me now right." He stated and Peyton nodded before kissing him.

Tonight may have come with a few blips, but Lucas and Peyton were finally together and that was all that mattered...well that and the double date Brooke had finally got her best friend to agree to on the way home.


End file.
